The Last Breath
by Stargate-Lover-Steph
Summary: Set after the episode Tangent. This picks up where the episode finishes. Short and kind of sweet one shot.


**AN-This came about after watching the named episode below. My brain wouldn't let it lie so it had to be done. A simple one shot that picks up when the episode ends. As always, enjoy.**

 **Season 4, episode 12. Tangent.**

* * *

"Jacob, thanks for stopping by," Jack said a little breathlessly to the man kneeling in front of him.

"What the hell, I was in the neighbourhood," Jacob responded, a slight smile on his lips. "You need a lift home?"

"Yes sir, thank you," Jack answered as he took the pre-offered hand Jacob was offering him.

Jacob helped Jack stand up and waited till Jack seemed steady before letting go.

"You two going to be all right?" Jacob inquired as he looked at Jack and Teal'c.

"We will be fine Jacob Carter, thank you," Teal'c reassured the man as he inclined his head in the direction of Jacob.

"Right, I got to go fly your sorry asses back home. There should be plenty supplies around here, maybe see about topping up their oxygen levels a little and getting them warm." Directing the last part at his daughter before turning and walking out the cargo hold to take the controls again.

Sam watched her father sit in the pilot's chair and take over the controls of the small ship. Looking back at the three men beside her she saw Teal'c was already stripping away some of his flight uniform but noticed that Colonel O'Neill was just stood there staring at her, swaying a little as he did.

"Sir, maybe you should sit down, preferably before you fall down again." Reaching out and placing her hand on Jack's arm.

Jack just looked at her as he took in the sight of Sam Carter stood in front of him. There was nothing that Jack could pinpoint about Sam that made her look different, yet stood in front of him, she was even more beautiful than he remembered. His oxygen deprived brain was trying to reason with him that she was still Major Samantha Carter, his subordinate. Yet the rest of his brain was uncooperative, more so when he felt her hand on his arm. He could see the concern etched onto her face as she watched him standing there doing absolutely nothing. He had no idea what she had said but he gave his head a slight shake and instantly started to regret it when the room around him started to go fuzzy.

Sam watched as Jack shook his head and saw him start to sway even more. Her instincts kicked in and she was at his side in a second. Using one of her arms she slid it around his waist and used her other arm to slide across his stomach, using her body as a crutch as he started to fall sideways. Somehow neither of them fell or stumbled as Sam made her way to the side of the hold and turned till they both had their backs to the wall. Leaning backwards, she used the wall as a cross between a support and a slide. It wasn't until she was sat down with Jack's head on her shoulder did she see Daniel moving around and gathering some bits and pieces together.

Easing her arm out from behind Jack she tried to move him so he was lying down, but Jack being Jack refused to lie down and be helped. Daniel appeared beside Jack and slipped a mask over his mouth and nose, turning the tap on the small cylinder beside him. As the oxygen started to filter through the tube and into Jack, Sam watched him closely for signs it was either too much or not enough. After a couple of minutes, Sam noticed the difference in Jack's breathing and was kind of pleased when he started to push the mask away. Daniel turned the tank off and hooked the mask back over Jack's head. Passing Sam a few blankets he had found he picked the mask and tank up and went to see if Teal'c required any.

Sam sat with the blankets Daniel had just passed her and looked at the man still using her as a pillow. His eyes were open but he seemed to either be lost in thought or concentrating on the meaning of the universe. Sam's hands rested on her thighs as she looked down at the man beside her. She knew he was still a little worse for wear from the oxygen deprivation, if he was fully with it, he would not be sat pressed up against her side with his head on her shoulder, more so with her father sat just the other side of the bulkhead.

"Major Carter, maybe you should see about removing some of his flight clothing. It was very cold out there." She heard Teal'c call out to her.

Sam looked across at Teal'c then down at Jack. All he had removed was his helmet, everything else was still in tacked. Moving as best as she could she reached out and started to pull down the zipper of his jacket. One it was down she managed to get one arm out of his sleeve, closely followed by the other. It wasn't till she touched the skin on his hands that she felt how cold he was.

"Sir, we need to get some off these clothes off and get you warmed up." Nudging the man beside her as she spoke.

"Whatever you say, Carter, why don't these things coming with heating in them?" Jack's teeth starting to chatter as he spoke.

Sam looked down at Jack's pants and boots before deciding her next course of action.

"Sir, we have a good few hours before we reach home. Between you and me we better get you out of them clothes and into warm ones." Keeping her voice to a whisper as she locked eyes with Jack.

Sitting up he reached over and started on his boot laces, his fingers not quite getting a grip. Sam watched for a few seconds before she moved to push Jack's hand out the way and took over unlacing his boots. When she was done she removed his boots and placed them beside the wall behind her. Taking one of the blankets she lay it out on the floor as a sort of mattress before taking another and unfolding it. Looking around, she spotted what she was looking for and stood up. Before she went to retrieve the pack she had brought with her she placed the open blanket over Jack's lap to cover his lower body. Leaning in as close as she could she whispered to him,

"I have clothing in my pack, you get out of them ones while I go get them."

Jack did as he was asked, struggling a little with his buckle and zipper. He did, however, manage to remove his pants, bailing them up when he removed them. Sam took her time going through her pack as she watched Jack out the corner of her eye. She saw him struggle but she knew he would want to do that part himself. When she saw he had finally removed the clothes she stopped fussing and gathered up his clean pants. She had no idea when she left why she packed clean clothing for her commanding officer, asking Daniel to do the same for Teal'c. Now as she walked over carrying the clothing she was pleased she had.

Taking a seat next to Jack she passed him his clean clothes, staying just out of reach so he had a little privacy. When his hand appeared above the blankets he was still holding his pants. Sam gave him a questioning look as he threw the pants on the floor.

"Too much effort, too cold." He shivered as he tucked the blanket a little tighter around his legs.

"Come here and lie down on this." Indicting the blanket she had laid out.

Jack moved slowly over till he was sitting on the blanket, his back against the wall.

"Right, let's get you lying down and tucked up," Sam said as she moved so she could help Jack lie down.

When he was finally lying flat Sam grabbed the other blankets and covered Jack over with them, making sure they were tucked under and around his sides. She was just about to tuck in the final side when his hand popped out from under the blanket and wrapped around her wrist. As if in unison they both looked at each at the same time, neither saying anything as Jack's cold fingers moved on Sam's wrist. Sam looked over her shoulder to see if she could spot Daniel and Teal'c but noticed they were alone. When had they moved and left them alone? She could have sworn they were there when she got Jack's clothes. What she didn't know was that her teammates had seen the exchange between Jack and herself and had ever so subtly given them some privacy.

Turning back to the man lying flat-out on the cargo hold floor Sam gave him a slight nod of her head as she sat down beside him and made quick work of her boots when he let go of her wrist. Checking her pants pockets were empty Sam glanced at the open door once more before she lifted the blankets covering Jack and shuffled in beside him. Lying down, she turned to face him as he rolled to face her. They both looked at each a little uncertain as to how to do this. In the end, Sam just gave in and moved up against Jack's chest, her arms sliding around him and pulling him closer to her. He was still shivering but not as much as he had been.

Jack moved out of a cross between the instinct for warmth and the pull of having his Carter up against his chest. No matter how cold he was his brain knew how well they fitted together. Burying his face in her neck, he wrapped her up in his arms and held on tight. Her legs had snaked a path both through and over his as the heat coming from her body warmed him. It was wrong for a commanding officer to be so happy that he was freezing his ass off, just so he could get away with cuddling up to his hot, sexy, blue-eyed and blonde 2IC. He had started to fall for her the second she challenged him to an arm wrestle when they first meet. Now here he was four years later lying on the deck of an Alkeas with her in his arms. He knew it was wrong but he needed her, not just for her warmth but his very being.

Sam felt Jack snuggle in closer, his breath catching her neck as his face meet her skin. This was so wrong yet so right. Yes, she would have done the same for Daniel of Teal'c if needed but it was so different with Jack. They didn't need words to express how they felt, a look, a touch, even a gesture spoke more than verbal words ever could. After the Zatarc testing, they had stopped touching as much, stopped the friendly conversations that ebbed and flowed freely between them. They had put some distance between them to help with the fact what they felt for each other was wrong and totally against the fraternization regulations. Yet as she felt Jack's body wrap around hers and his breathing even out as sleep claimed him she had to question how something that felt so right was so wrong. She loved Jack, and she knew he loved her. Yet there was no way forward for them. This was all they would ever have, stolen moments when one or the other was at death's door and they could get away with the closeness. She could feel how Jack had pulled her t-shirt out the back of her pants and moved his hand under the shirt to rest against her skin. Feeling the power in his legs as they wrapped around her and held her to him. She knew her father was only a few meters away but at that very moment in time she couldn't care less. She had gone out of her way to come up with a rescue plan to save the man in her arms, she would be damned if she wasn't getting her reward for it.

Since Jack had taken the liberty to feel her skin under the pretense of warming up she decided to do the same. She had kept her hand above-board when she cuddled him in but since he hadn't bothered so why should she. Moving one of her hands down, she hooked it under his t-shirt and lay it on his back. She was pleased he was warm now, his skin feeling the right temperature under her fingers. She let out a yawn she had no idea she had been hanging on to as she moved her face into Jack's neck, her lips coming to rest on one side of his Adam's apple. Closing her eyes, she counted to ten and recited a short pray to thank the universe for returning Jack to her. Before she fell asleep she placed a kiss on the column of Jack's throat and whispered against his skin,

"I love you, Jack O'Neill."

Jack was roused when he heard Sam say something against his neck, just as she kissed a spot near his Adam's apple. He was sure he had heard right as he played the words over and over in his head. She loved him, she had just said she did. It wasn't a great revelation that she did, not after Anise, the armbands, and the Zatarc tests. Yet hearing the actual words made his heart lighter. She really did love him and she had just said it aloud, albeit for her ears only. This was far from perfect but he would take it, any chance he got to hold her, touch her or just make things easier he would take it. She had just saved his sorry, no good useless ass again. It was enough, for now, knowing she loved him as he loved her. Taking a deep breath, he inhaled the smell that was unique to Carter, his Carter, his Sam. He would lock it away with the rest of his memories of his brief encounters with Sam, cherishing each new one. It was all he had, they had, until such time as one or the other gave up the fight and walked away. Neither was ready for that yet so Jack would love her till he couldn't any more or until he took his last breath. On saying that he thought he had taken his last breath in the death glider, yet she had swooped in had saved him. Starting to fall asleep again he hoped that when the day finally came she would be the last thing he saw, she would be his last breath.


End file.
